Page 78 of York

“They’ve been looking for her for two years?”

“Seems like it. Actively.”

I racked my brain, trying to figure out if it was two years back that the guys went from watching Runa to trying to kill her. If so, why?

“Who is the beneficiary if she doesn’t claim it?”

“If they’re still looking, I’d think there is none. It’s Runa, then Runa’s children, most likely. But I can’t find the actual records. I can try to see if someone will click a link that will let me into their system.”

“Yeah, do that. And can you give me the information for the lawyer?”

When I made my way back to the clubhouse, I found Runa sitting beside the pool, her legs in the water. In the pool, a vest-clad Denali was lounged on top of a giant float with a hat, sunglasses, a drink in the cupholder, and eating a multicolor ice pop.

“She looks like a movie star on vacation,” I said as I walked up.

“I know, right? Little diva over there.”

“You guys been in here all this time?” They’d been in the pool for an hour before I’d left. And I’d been gone for nearly three.

“She’s a water bug. Can’t convince her to come out and do anything. Everything alright?” she asked, looking over at me, sensing something off.

“When we can get her occupied, we need to talk.”

“Uh-oh.”

It was right then that Eddie came walking around the back of the house, bags in his hands.

“Eddie!” Denali yelled.

“Easy!” Runa called back as our daughter rocked her float a little too hard.

“Hey, lil’ pip, wanna make tamales with me?”

“Mama?” Denali asked, digging at the water with her little hands, trying to get over to the side.

“Sure,” Runa said as I got the skimmer and used it to pull Denali close so I could lift her out.

Runa pulled off her vest, hat, and sunglasses, and pulled her shorts up her legs.

“You can go get started, but you’ll have to take a break to get changed in a few minutes, okay? Daddy and I just need to talk for a few minutes.”

“Okay!”

Cooking was her new favorite hobby. Eddie was thrilled to have a little protégé.

“God, I love Eddie,” Runa said as we watched Denali run into the house.

“How could you not?” I asked.

“You went to see Arty about Amanda, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Did he get anything?”

“Not on Amanda, no. Can you come over here?” I asked, waving toward the chaise lounges under a large umbrella.

She pulled herself up, and I tried my best not to ogle her when I was about to give her some pretty horrific news. And potentially amazing news.